Without You
by zoe223
Summary: A story starting from when Anne is a teacher and Gilbert is in medical school. In my version, the two didn’t get together, and Gilbert hasnt been married yet. Not all characters are listed. Rated T to be safe.
1. Surprise?

Anne

The crimson colored leaf drifted daintily from its branch, landing with a small tap on top of Anne's sketchbook. She sighed, giving her sketch an unsatisfied look and shutting her notebook. Autumn had been her favorite season for years, but this one seemed more bittersweet than beautiful. Anne was sitting atop a small tree trunk inside the ruins of her old clubhouse, attempting to sketch the small red cardinal that seemed to be content with sitting atop the tree branch in front of her. She'd never been particularly interested in art, as her mind always moved much too fast for her hands to keep up; Cole was always the real artist.

She stood, brushing off the back of her dress and sighing. Looking back to the ruins of her clubhouse, she remembered her old group of friends. Picking up her sketchbook and pencil, she placed the two back in her basket and began back down the path towards Green Gables.

Gilbert

"Mr. Blythe?" Wilma stopped at the doorway of the man's room, knocking softly on the doorframe with one hand while holding a small pile of sheets and towels in the other. He looked up from his textbook, adjusting his glasses and leaning back from his chair.

"Thank you Wilma, you may leave those on my dresser, I will take care of them." She nodded, and placed them atop the dresser. She lingered for a moment, eyeing the small photo of a redheaded girl that rested there. It was one of the only things Gilbert had that was truly personal. He never spoke of his childhood, nor any other topic that was in any way personal at all. Noticing that she was staring, Wilma quickly set the items down and exited Gilbert room.

Upon Wlma's exit, Gilbert looked up from his textbook, and sighed. Since leaving Avonlea nothing but stress and loneliness had accompanied him. He stood, walking out of his room and outside his house, retrieving his hat and coat on the way. It was time he returned to Avonlea.

The wind blew a chill throughout Gilbert's small town, and he pulled his coat closer to him, a white cloud of air escaping his lips as he exhaled. As he walked, he felt a cold snowflake land atop his forehead. He looked up and saw more small, delicate snowflakes drifting from the clouds over his head. Gilbert smiled slightly and chuckled to himself, thinking of what a certain redhead had told him years ago during the first snow of that winter.

"It's magical," she'd said, gazing up towards the clouds. She'd lifted a hand towards the sky and smiled as a crystal-like snowflake fell softly into the palm of her hand. Gilbert had chuckled as she lowered her hand and watched as the snowflake slowly melted into a drop of water. The two then sat down upon two fallen tree trunks and watched as the world around them was slowly covered with a sparkling white blanket of snow. "I wonder if this is nature's way of telling us something." She'd said, that familiar twinkle in her eyes that she'd always had when she was exploring. "What would that be?" He said, chuckling, wearing a smirk on his face and looking down at her with a look of admiration. "I'm not sure," she'd said, "But whatever it is, I'm glad you're here to see it with me." She had rested her head onto his shoulder, as his cheeks flushed cherry red. Gilbert had closed his eyes and sighed, savoring the moment that he could share with his beloved Anne.

Gilbert shook away the memory and rubbed his eyes, finally feeling the sting of the frigid air. Pushing the buttons into place on his coat, He began his walk back towards his home as the sky grew darker, and the stars brighter in the sky. The breeze lightly shook the leaves on the branches, or at least the few that still remained. He heard the occasional skitter of animals rushing back into their nests or homes or wherever else they chose to sleep. The snow crunched softly underneath his feet as he walked, and the path was devoid of any other people. For a moment Gilbert forgot the cold and just stood, taking in the peaceful quiet of the forest and the therapeutic chirping of whatever bird hadn't already fled due to the cold weather. The scene reminded him of his childhood home, and the days he'd spent wandering the forest aimlessly after the death of his father. Ultimately, it was his father's death which had fueled his desire to become a doctor. On days like this one, when he lost sight of that desire, he reminded himself by recalling the feeling of utter helplessness when every doctor he had called had no explanation for his father's sudden illness. On days like this one, however, his mind wandered back to the past when he had not felt such a drive for the medical field, and felt as though there was more to life than simply studying.

It was with a jolt of surprise that he realized he had made it back to his house. Sighing, he walked inside, preparing himself for a lecture from Wilma.

Anne

Arriving back at Green Gables. Anne stopped first at the barn, giving each of her horses a treat and feeding them.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long," She said, rubbing Bella's nose. Bella nickered in reply, and Anne chuckled.

"Tomorrow I won't be so late." Finishing up in the barn, she shut the door, and walked back up to the house.

After bathing and changing, she sat atop her bed, and sighed sadly. After she'd graduated and Gilbert had left Avonlea along with the rest of her friends, she'd felt alone. Every now and then she'd receive a short letter from Ruby, or Diana, telling her of the wonders of living in a bustling city. Diana had invited her quite a few times to visit, but Anne never did. She wondered if now would be a good time to do so. Lying back, she pulled out her favorite book - one by Jane Eyre. She touched the part of the book from which the pages had been ripped off when she was an orphan. Perhaps she could find another copy in the city and finally finish it. Quite suddenly, her fatigue hit her all at once, and she yawned dramatically. Settling into bed and pulling her covers over her, she fell asleep all too quickly.

Anne awoke late at night, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She recalled only that she'd had a nightmare, but couldn't grasp the contents of it. Tossing off the covers, she stood, and walked tiredly down the stairs in search of a glass of water. Once it had been retrieved, she sat down on the armchair, planning to stay there for a few minutes to finish her glass of water and then go back to sleep. Once she'd finished her glass she took it to the kitchen, but was stopped in her tracks by a loud boom coming from the barn. With fear rising in her chest, she set her glass down on the table, and retrieved her coat and boots. She grabbed a lantern, and stepped outside, approaching the barn slowly. Her hands began to shake, so she grasped the lantern harder to keep them from doing so. Pushing the barn door open, she stepped inside, calling out timidly. "Who's there?" She grabbed a hammer she had hanging on the wall next to one of the stalls, and tried again. "I know you're in here!"

Slowly, a figure stepped out of one of the stalls with their hands raised by their head. "It's okay! It's just me!"

Having abandoned the lantern by the barn door, Anne walked backwards to get it, not taking her eyes off the intruder. "Don't move." She said, her voice shaking.

She picked up the lantern from the dusty barn floor and raised it towards the figure.

Cole - who was covered in hay - stared back at her with an embarrassed look.

"Surprise?"

**Hi everyone! As this is the first chapter (but definitely not the last) there is a lot that is unexplained, but don't worry! I plan to update around once a week if I can, with some exceptions of course due to school schedules and stuff. Let me know if you have any ideas for something I should include in the story and I'll definitely consider them! I plan to continue this as long as the story flows naturally, so I'm not sure how many chapters this will end up being. Also, if you were confused by the switches between characters, I put the name of the person, then jump to them. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Cole

_Anne had lit the fire in the small clubhouse earlier that afternoon, and it was now only a small flicker, it having been an hour since she last tended it. Pulling her coat closer to her, she stood up, and faced Cole. "I'm going to grab some more firewood, it'll only take a minute." He nodded, but said nothing in reply, as he was concentrating intensely on his current sketch. She exited the small clubhouse, her breath coming out in small white puffs of condensation. It had snowed earlier, but not so much that Marilla would prevent her from staying out. She left a circular trail of footprints as she picked up piece after piece of wood. As she bent down to pick up one, she heard Cole scream from inside the club house, followed by a yell of pain. She dropped the wood and raced into the clubhouse, immediately kneeling down beside Cole and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" She yelled, looking for signs of injury. He held out one of his hands and a sharp piece of wood, and she looked down at his hand. It had been cut badly, a gash spreading across most of his palm. She immediately pulled out a handkerchief she had in her pocket and wrapped it around his hand, making it snug, but not too tight, and tying it there, while grabbing his uninjured hand and leading him outside the clubhouse. "We're going to get you to Green Gables, okay?" She said, cringing as she saw the large area of the makeshift bandage that was now red. She held onto his uninjured hand, and helped him quickly through the woods and over to Green Gables. Once she arrived, she yelled for Marilla, pushing the door open and leading Cole inside. She told him to sit on the couch, to which he nodded, and sat down, face contorted in a pained expression. Marilla rushed to Cole's side, and, inspecting the cut, pulled a multitude of medical supplies from a small case she had in a cabinet. Anne squeezed his other hand, tears rolling down her cheeks as she saw Cole in pain. Since then, Anne had vowed that no matter what, she would be there for Cole. He would never be alone._

Anne dropped the lantern, rushing to his side. The two fell into each other's arms, each holding the other up. Anne felt a tear roll down her cheek, and broke away. She wiped her face and took Cole's hand. He opened his mouth as if to explain, but Anne shook her head. "Don't explain anything tonight. I'll set up Marilla's old room for you and you can tell me in the morning." He nodded in response, giving her a grateful look, and following her into the house. He sat somewhat awkwardly on the couch as he waited for her to finish setting up the room. Once she had, she led him to the room, and presented him with an extra blanket and bar of soap. "There's a bath ready if you want it. It's cold, so use the blanket. Goodnight, Cole." He seemed to struggle with a response for a bit, but finally let out a small, "Goodnight."


	3. Gilbert?

Diana rolled the pen in between her fingertips, sighing deeply and staring at the mostly-empty piece of paper in front of her.

She'd been working on the same letter to Anne for hours now, and her husband had gone to sleep long before. Now, she was left sitting alone on the cold dining room table, the sky outside her a picture of the nighttime. Finally, she stood up from her chair and retrieved her coat, not caring that it was quite cold out that time of year. Tugging on her hat and boots, she pushed the door open, letting it swing closed behind her. She felt a rush of cold air come over her, and shivered slightly and buttoned up her coat. She could see dainty snowflakes drifting from the sky, and smiled. The snow glittered ever so slightly in the moonlight, a beauty that had yet to be touched by anything but the glow of the moon.

The moon was full, hanging majestically above the town she lived in. Choosing to take a path through the forest for a midnight walk, She pulled her coat closer, and began in the direction of the forest.

It was about halfway through her walk she began to hear footsteps behind her. They were uneven at first, as if made by a person not too keen on getting anywhere quickly. She was still walking in the opposite direction of her house, but did not want to turn around, in case the person was following her. She began to speed up, keeping her head down and shoulders close to her. The footsteps sped up with her, so she abandoned her ladylike stride and simply ran, fearing for her safety. Turning off the path, she kept going, through the trees and grass. She heard the footsteps gaining on her, and figured her best bet would be a skill she learned from Anne.

She took a sharp right, finally going back in the right direction, and found a tree that looked remotely climbable. She heard the person running behind her still, but was confident she wouldn't be able to be spotted from the tree. Climbing up swiftly, she gripped the branch, and waited.

The person rounded the corner, and Diana could safely say it was a man, about her age. He had dark brown curly hair, and seemed much taller than her. Squinting, she gasped, and nearly lost her balance. Gripping on again, and not caring that he could hear her, she yelled,

"Gilbert?"

**A/N: As is probably obvious, I've not yet decided who is going to be Diana's husband. So as not to destroy any existing ships from the show, I'm probably going to make someone up, so if you have any ideas I would love to hear them in the reviews!**


	4. Clubhouse

"I can't believe you were in a tree!" Laughed Gilbert. He was strolling down the path along with Diana, laughing and gesturing enthusiastically. She snickered, cheeks turning bright pink as she tucked a strand of hair behind her cheek and stuffed her hands into her pockets. As the laughter died down, Diana turned towards Gilbert, and stopped walking. "Where have you been?" She sighed, tilting her head slightly and making eye contact with him. "It's been forever since I saw you."

He smiled sadly, but shook his head. "Nowhere in particular," he said. Diana frowned, but didn't pry. She knew something had happened between him and Anne, but had no idea what. At last, spotting her house in the distance, she turned, and, ignoring what others may think of it, hugged him. "I'll see you around." She said. With that, she continued along the path alone, towards her house, and walked inside.

Cole

Cole shuffled slowly down the small hallway that led to the kitchen, wiping his eyes and yawning. As he entered, he saw Anne, humming softly to herself as she danced around the bright kitchen, making enough food to feed an army. She slid a pile of scrambled eggs onto a plate, and, buttering a piece of toast, tossed it alongside them. She pulled a small cluster of grapes off of the bunch, and, cutting a total of eight strawberries, deposited those onto the plate as well. She turned to see Cole, snickering and walking towards one of the seats at the table. She rolled her eyes, but smiled, and said, "Making breakfast is fun." She picked up the two plates, both covered with an ample amount of breakfast foods, and set them on opposite sides of the table.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked, pausing to dab the corners of her mouth with a napkin. He nodded, mouth full of eggs and toast. "Very," he said finally once he'd swallowed. "That's good," said Anne.

"Could I stay here for a while?" Cole asked, a serious look spreading across his face. Anne stopped eating for a moment, and without hesitation, said, "Of course."

Cole didn't offer an explanation and Anne didn't ask for one. Their friendship often worked that way, since the two trusted each other and never questioned their choices. Anne was grateful to Cole, although she didn't outwardly say it, for coming. The house had seemed empty and sad ever since Matthew and Marilla had passed.

The three had been involved in a train accident, immediately souring Anne's opinion of trains. Matthew and Marilla had both survived the crash itself, but passed later due to injuries caused by the crash. Anne had sustained a few major injuries, but none of the nurses could keep her in her own room. Each night she'd sit in an armchair provided by one of the nurses and read aloud to Marilla and Matthew. Neither had awoken, but every now and then Anne would get a feeling like they could hear her.

She shook away the memory and turned to Cole, who had been relatively quiet that morning. She didn't speak, nor make eye contact, but took his right hand in hers and squeezed it gently. He smiled, but didn't speak either. At last, once they'd finished, Anne stood from the table. She then said something that Cole would remember for years in the future as the first time he'd really felt happy in quite a few months.

"How about a walk to the clubhouse?"


	5. Fixed!

Making a small detour to the shed that lay on the right of the barn, Anne and Cole each grabbed an array of tools and placed them in either of two baskets they carried with them. Cole picked up some long planks of wood that had no real purpose yet at Green Gables and held those as well as the two began their trek through the woods.

When they arrived at the ruins, Anne quickly set to work salvaging whatever wood, decoration, or otherwise she thought would still be usable. Cole set aside the wood planks and organized them by size, comparing which planks were longest, and which ones were more supportive than others. One they had both finished, they set to work. Anne held up the wood as Cole hammered it in place, Anne having been worried she might smack Cole's hand with the hammer accidentally if she was the one hammering. Once they'd finally finished the main structure of the small clubhouse, Anne set to work braiding little ribbons with beads and feathers to hang and searching for flexible vines she could wrap around the structure. Cole began to sculpt a small robin out of a small block of clay he'd brought with him, and once he'd finished he placed it atop the clubhouse's roof. Anne tucked little daisies and other small flowers into the corners of the wooden structure and placed a long cloth over the opening, letting it hang like a curtain. Once they finished, they stepped back and admired the finished product.

The clubhouse was comprised of wooden planks about the same height as they'd been before the clubhouse's destruction. It had a long cloth that reached up to about three inches above the ground, and had a few rips and tears. There were small flowers tucked lovingly into the small spaces between the wooden planks, and vines and wreaths that Anne had found in various areas of the forest were draped around the tops of the walls. Various sculptures Cole had made surrounded the small clubhouse, and the interior still had the stumps the group had used as seats when they were younger.

Anne looked up and the sky and noticed it was beginning to turn a light shade of purple. She sighed, taking another look at the clubhouse before turning to Cole and saying, "It's late, we should head back." He nodded, and the two began down the path with the tools.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter. I've been sort of caught up in a bit of schoolwork and other things that have kept me busy and I haven't gotten much of a chance to continue along. I might update less frequently as of now - but don't worry, it'll still be updated. I'm aiming for once a week as of now, so please bear with me and feel free to write any suggestions in the reviews. Thank you!


	6. Letter

Gilbert:

He pulled the blankets over his head, exhaustion enveloping him and keeping him in his bed. It was eight o'clock in the morning and nothing had happened that morning that would make him upset. Despite this, however, there was a shadow lingering above him, keeping him in the dark and sweeping the light just out of his reach. The curtains were drawn closed and his door shut. The paintings on his wall seemed to cloud and the flowers resting on his dresser seemed to droop. All this grew more and more apparent the longer he stayed this way - lying back, eyes closed but sleep an unrealistic goal. The bright white paint on the walls looked grayer and the small pit of sadness and anxiety in his chest that he seemed to be so good at ignoring was making itself known. Nothing he could see or feel would make this go away - he could be laughing, feeling the happiest he'd felt in days, and it would still be there, slowly chipping away at his heart. Slowly draining him of his energy and willpower.

Diana:

She sat at her desk, fingers closed around her pen, staring at a blank page with nothing to show for the hour she'd spent staring at it. It'd been months since she'd sent a letter to Anne, and there was so much she wanted to tell her. So much had happened in those months and yet it seemed that there was nothing she could do but stare at this paper, hoping that the words might just flow from her pen and she'd know what to say. Eventually she settled on something and simply wrote,

Hello Anne,

It has been quite a while since we last spoke. How are you doing? I've missed your letters with your extravagant stories - it's been quite uneventful without them. As you know, I've been aiming to become a writer, but my stories are never quite as good without your creative touch. I hope we can work together again sometime soon.

I miss you terribly, and I hope I may hear from you again.

Yours, Diana

She set the finished letter upon a desk near the front door and resolved to mail it later on in the day when she went out shopping. A part of her, even knowing it was mostly her fault that the two of them lost touch, was angry with Anne for never reaching out. Thinking about it, that part of her took over, and she suddenly realized that she was very angry with Anne. Without thinking, she pulled out her pen, furiously wrote out a different letter, and handed the finished one to her husband who was just about to go out anyways. "Please deliver this to Green Gables." She said, and then stomped out. He looked confused, but took the letter nonetheless without complaint and went out to deliver it.

**A/N: Hey everyone! To all of those out there who have followed/are reading my story, thank you so much! It means a lot! I realize there are a lot of unanswered questions in this chapter (and it's very short) so because of this I'm going to get started with another chapter right away. With me still being in school during this time it's very stressful and I've had a lot on my mind for a while, but now that I've had a lot of time to adjust I'm going to be updating a lot more frequently. If you have any suggestions or have feedback for me I would love to hear it in the reviews. Also, I will be starting to do more with Gilbert and everyone else in case you've been waiting for that. Stay safe and healthy!**


	7. William

A/N: To avoid confusion, this is a week later. Enjoy!

Anne:

Anne set out her books on the table, carefully making sure none of them could be knocked over or have anything spilled on them. Cole sat, enjoying a peach dessert Anne had made earlier watching as she counted and then recounted each item she'd placed on the table.

Tomorrow was her first day teaching the students of Avonlea and she found herself in a frenzy, making sure everything would go smoothly tomorrow morning. She'd laid out a dress for the big day, making a point not to wear a corset in tribute to Miss Stacy. She'd laid out the mail that was delivered earlier, but neglected to read or go through any of it since she'd be so preoccupied with preparing for school.

Being finally finished, she sat across from Cole, picking up the small pile of mail and preparing to go through it. She sifted quickly through the collection of letters, placing most of them aside to go over later on. The last letter she picked up, however, was from Diana.

She showed the card to Cole and he stopped eating, looking at the letter she was holding up. "Well open it I suppose." He said, setting down his fork and pushing aside his plate to hear what it said.

Anne broke the seal of the envelope with her finger and pulled out the letter, reading it over. She felt her heart sink and her hands began to shake. Cole frowned, and picked up the letter Anne had dropped in front of her on the table, reading it aloud.

Dear Anne,

I am simply writing this letter not to tell you that I've missed you or that you're welcome to come over, because neither of those things are true. I'm writing to tell you that your blatant disregard of my previous letters and your neglect to reach out has been noted. Your message is received. You are no longer welcome here, nor will I be returning nor reading any letter that you send here. I will have them tossed into the fireplace. I do not wish to speak to you again.

Yours, Diana

Cole stared at the letter again for a few moments silently before looking back at Anne, who now had silent tears dripping daintily down her face. Her hand slowly met her face and covered her mouth. "I-I didn't mean to - I just forgot -" She began to sob quietly as Cole made his way around the table and enveloped her in a hug. He didn't know what to say - this was unlike Diana. He'd never known her to be so angry at something so small. They stayed that way for a while until both had calmed down and gone off to bed. Lying in his bed Cole resolved that he would go into town the next morning and find out what had happened with Diana.

Gilbert

It was evening. He had forced himself to get out of bed long before then, but that was sort of pointless. He'd sat in the dining room chair and thought about what he would say to Anne if he ever saw her again. He didn't know what brought it on, but it seemed to be all he could think of. When his adoptive son came running through the kitchen, yelling with excitement about how he would be going to school tomorrow, he sighed, remembering he'd promised that he would take him to school tomorrow so Wilma would have a chance to clean up around the house. He smiled, though, seeing the meticulously set out piles of books in different categories based on genres he'd set out on the coffee table. It reminded him of her.

He'd only realized how late it got when his son came to him with sleepy eyes asking for a bedtime story. Standing up from the chair, he walked William into his room, tucking him in and pulling one of the short stories from his shelf. Once William had fallen asleep, Gilbert closed the book, setting it back on the shelf.

The next morning in Avonlea came quicker than he expected.


	8. Schoolhouse

The sun wasn't up yet, but Anne was. She got dressed quickly, grabbing a large empty basket and retrieving the various books she'd set out the night before. She ignored the tiny voice in the back of her mind reminding her of Diana's letter, instead focusing on the excitement of teaching. She had an exciting lesson planned, and placed an empty notebook and multiple pens inside her basket as well as a large piece of paper. Being finally ready, she picked up the wrapped lunch she'd prepared and placed that in her basket as well. The sun was beginning to peek out from behind the mountains by now and Cole ambled sleepily outside his room, smiling at the sight of Anne happy despite yesterday's events. He walked up to the table, patted her shoulder as he did so, sitting down and wiping his eyes. Anne prepared a plate of breakfast for him hurriedly, placing the plate in front of him and then giving him a quick hug. "I need to be off, but I'll be back soon!" She said, rushing to the door. He laughed, but nodded. "Good luck!" He yelled back at her as she ran out the door and to the school.

On her way over, Anne had decided to walk, she pulled out multiple glass containers and took different samples of the leaves and branches on trees various plants and flowers. This would work with her science lesson.

Upon her arrival, she began unpacking her things, placing the books on her desk in precise order and the pens in a small cup she brought with her. She placed the extra pieces of chalk in another small cup on her desk and cleaned up the room a bit, dusted off various areas of the classroom and made sure everything was in order. When she'd finished preparations, there was nothing left to do but wait.

Gilbert

Gilbert was awoken around sunrise by an enthusiastic William tugging on his sheets. He rolled over, smiling at William and sitting up. "Good morning." He said, chuckling at William's excited face. He swung out of bed, shooing William out of the room while he changed. He then went, being greeted by Wilma and a large, warm plate of breakfast, into the kitchen. William spoke loudly and rapidly throughout the entire meal about his excitement towards going to school. Once the two were dressed and ready and had finished, Gilbert prepared the horse so that they could leave, and they were off.

Gilbert stopped about a block away from the schoolhouse, intending to just drop off William there, but he objected, so Gilbert sighed, and decided he would go in and meet his teacher. He'd intended to do that anyways. Continuing along the path, he stopped once finally in front of the schoolhouse.

He ushered William into the building before him, and heard a kind, familiar female voice greet his son, guiding him to his seat and asking for his name and age. Walking slowly in, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a gorgeous redhead standing in front of him.

She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen - there was no denying this. Her beautiful grey eyes shined brightly and her vibrant red hair caught his attention instantly. It was done in a gorgeous updo, a dainty light blue hair clip placed carefully on one side. Her face was dotted with little freckles and her smile was bright and kind. Her dress, simple as it was, looked as though it was perfect for her, and she sounded like she had the voice of an angel. As William proudly pulled out the books he and Gilbert had chosen for him to bring to school, he saw that familiar twinkle in Anne's eyes while she looked through the books. At last she stood up and turned to face him.

Anne

She knew it was him.

She knew this day would come, and yet she's still not ready for it.

His sad brown eyes met hers and she forgot to breathe, forgot to blink, forgot to speak. Immediately it was back to that night.

_ "Gilbert?" She'd looked shocked when she opened the door, he looked terrible and smelled strongly of alcohol. He stumbled into the house, Anne barely being able to catch him as he did so. She shut the door behind them and helped him to the couch, helping him sit down and asking calmly what happened._

_ It was then she realized that Matthew and Marilla were not there._

_ "I-I tried to warn them-" he said, tears streaking down his cheeks. "I tried to stop them, I swear-" he dropped his head in his hands, and Anne paused to rub soothing circles on his back. "Slow down, just tell me what happened." Her voice was strong and her expression calm, but inside there was a pit of dread slowly building up inside her chest._

_ "Th-The train, it was going to go off the rails, they were broken. I saw it, a-and I tried to find them in time, but they were gone, and so was the train, a-and it crashed-"_

_ He didn't have to say more for Anne to know what happened._

_ She stopped moving, stopped breathing, stopped being for a moment while she sat in shock on her couch. Her hands slowly drew in to her chest and her eyes began to fill with tears until she couldn't see and all she could do was cry._

"Hello?" Gilbert waved, looking about as nervous as would be appropriate. Anne knew it wasn't his fault - he'd gone out drinking and because of this hadn't gotten back in time to warn Matthew and Marilla - and everyone else on the train - of the fault on the tracks. Even so, however, their death would always be associated with his inability to save them. Suddenly Anne was finding it hard to look at him, and hard to swallow. So she looked away and gave a weak hello. Realizing how vulnerable this made her feel, she instead walked away, to her desk, to pretend to organize the objects she'd already spent so long cleaning up. This, along with Diana's letter, was too much for her to deal with, and she suddenly found herself holding back tears.

"Are you… doing okay?" Gilbert asked timidly.

Anne didn't trust herself to speak, so instead simply nodded, and swallowed hard. She gestured to William, asking quietly, "Your son?"

Gilbert nodded proudly, smiling. "Yes. I adopted him two years ago." Anne turned, unsure why this surprised her.

"And you and Diana are still…?" Anne shook her head, but didn't offer explanation, and Gilbert didn't pry. He simply said, "Oh."

By now, Anne could see more parents and children pulling up, and the excitement of teaching once again took her over. Turning to Gilbert, her voice unwavering, she said "I need to go welcome the other parents now, I aim to get to know them quickly so that I may earn their trust. I trust I will see you at pickup time?" Gilbert nodded, his eyebrows pointed down in a slightly concerned expression. "Do you need me to send William with anything tomorrow?" He asked, not really doing anything more than stalling at that point. "Nothing beyond what we had to," she said, eager to end the conversation. "Okay." He said, then, after having lingered for a few moments, he waved goodbye and left.

Anne breathed out, relieved that was over. She supposed she'd have to get used to that, considering his son may need to be dropped off while he learns the way like she did after she was adopted.

Once each child was seated and Anne had had a brief conversation with each of their parents (as per her request in the letter Cole had sent to each home) She stood at the front of the classroom, and said what she'd been rehearsing for all night the past week. Proudly, with a smile, she said:

"Good morning students of Avonlea. My name is Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, and starting today, I will be preparing you for whichever path you choose to take in life. I will be your teacher, you mentor, and your friend. And most importantly, I will be here for you when you need me. On that note, shall we begin with today's lesson?"

A/N: Hello readers! This chapter took me forever - I couldn't quite settle on how the meet between Anne and Gilbert was going to go. Eventually I settled on this one. I hope you like it! Stay safe and healthy!


	9. Lessons

**A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't been too diligent with updating recently, I have a lot of online schoolwork to catch up with. As usual, stay safe and healthy, and enjoy!**

The beginning of the school day had gone fairly well, with no interruptions nor any fumbles on the part of Anne. The children were having their lunch now, and Anne sat at her desk in the back, fiddling with her fountain pen. She'd peeked out at the children earlier to get an understanding for the cliques her students had made, and noticed William sitting off in the front of the room, alone. At first she was concerned, seeing as he was not with anyone, but then she noticed the content look on his face and the book in his hand and all her concern melted away in an instant, replaced by nostalgia of her days in the schoolhouse, seeing Cole sketching off to the side. With this she returned to her office, not wanting to disturb her students, and began her own lunch. Once she'd finished, the butterflies in her stomach quelled, and all that was left was her excitement for the lesson she had planned.

At the end of lunch the students promptly returned to their seats, each giggling and exchanging looks about the conversations they'd had during lunch. Anne stood at the front of the class and pointed to the myriad of jars that were sitting atop her desk. Some students craned their necks to see what was inside, others simply looked confused. So, she began to explain the lesson.

"Here in my hands I hold a book. This book contains exciting information about each and every different plant or flower or branch inside of these jars. As you are all already sitting in pairs, I'm going to have you each work with your partner to sift through these books on my desk and find your plant. You will then write a short paragraph about it - in your own words of course, and present it to the class. I will provide you with the correct book for your specimen, but you must find the information and cultivate your presentation on your own." Once she'd finished explaining, she began to hand out the books, placing one on each pair's desk. She then handed out the different plants and flowers according to the books, and said, "Begin!"

She smiled, as she saw each student seemed genuinely interested in the assignment, and seemed to think it was a new, exciting, and unusual project. Once the day was up, she got the attention of her students once again.

"Good job everyone. I'm proud of all the work you've done. If you're not finished, meet your partner today and complete the project. Have it ready by tomorrow afternoon - you may also work during lunch tomorrow if you cannot meet today. Now everyone, have a good day! If you're being picked up by a parent please follow me." She led the four students being picked up by parents to the front of the schoolhouse where four parents - among them Gilbert - waited for them.

William raced to Gilbert, and began to enthusiastically retell the day's events as Anne spoke briefly to each other parent. By the time he'd finished, Anne was in front of Gilbert.

She was finding it difficult to make eye contact without seeing the distraught, intoxicated version of him that had stumbled into her home quite a few times after her parents' death, speaking without a filter and passing out on her couch. But she mustered up the courage to try and send a message that she did _not_ want to be anything other than William's teacher - no long conversations, and certainly no unannounced visits.

"William did well today. He seems to be having trouble making friends - but I wouldn't worry. He seems bright, and I'm sure he'll be just fine." With that she looked at him with a look she hoped told him she wanted nothing more to do with his life.

"That's great news. The lesson you taught seems interesting." She knew he was attempting to stall the conversation, so tried her best to curb it. "Yes, well please ensure he completes it if he hasn't already." With that, she began to walk away, not bothering to say goodbye to him although she so wished she could be civil towards him. As she walked back, however, basket in tow, she noticed he was walking behind her. She decided that this was because they walked the same direction back to the schoolhouse, so she simply quickened her pace and did not turn around.

When she returned to Green Gables, however, she could no longer contain her happiness about how the day had gone. No matter if Gilbert would be there each day, she still had many wonderful, bright children she was privileged to teach.

Cole laughed as she excitedly retold the day's events, but was very happy for her. He didn't tell her he'd gone to see Diana. Nor would he tell her that Diana had said that she wished she'd never met Anne, or that she'd yanked off the friendship necklace hanging from her neck and threw it on the ground. No, he would not tell her any of this. He couldn't stand to see her upset, and if it was avoidable, he would avoid it at all costs.

He closed his fist around the pendant of the necklace he'd picked up, sighing. He was confused and upset by what Diana said. But if he could help it, Anne would never know what that was.


	10. Panic

Anne bounced about the room, telling her tale of delight that was school. It was a miracle she didn't trip considering her chronic clumsiness, but she did not manage to avoid bumping into nearly everything in her path as she moved. At one point while she was telling Cole of the stressful encounter with Gilbert she bumped into him, and he nearly fell off the stool, the pendant dropping to the ground next to him.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry Cole! Let me help you." She kneeled down to help him up, the pendant catching her eye as she did so.

Cole felt a wave of dread wash over him.

"Oh, oops!" She said, laughing, picking up the necklace. She placed a hand on her chest as if to check that her necklace had indeed fallen off during her enthusiastic hop, and frowned when she felt it sitting just underneath her collarbone as she had expected. Lifting the necklace from the ground, the realization came over her.

At first she said nothing, simply staring at the necklace as though it were interesting and new - something she was studying and had never seen before. Cole held his breath as he waited - waited for her to ask what happened, to cry, to scream - anything that would show that she comprehended the significance of this. Instead, she stood up, and said, "Oh." She set the necklace down on the table, her expression blank. There was a sudden silence in the room until Anne said, "I need to go for a walk."

Cole nodded, but was slightly worried considering she did not react at all besides 'oh'. Even so, however, he did not object, letting her go and assuming that this was a form of coping or therapy for her.

Considering that it was early spring, and just chilly enough you may still need a light jacket but not so that you would want something large, she pulled the appropriate outerwear from the coat rack, opened the door, and left to go outside without saying a word.

At first, she felt like she looked. She didn't feel very sad, or angry, or anything really - just a numbness. It was towards the center of the forest that it hit her.

She wasn't quite sure what was happening at first. She felt a prickly sensation in the middle of her chest, at first just strange but suddenly painful. She began to sweat, taking off her coat immediately as waves of panic washed over her. Her breath was coming in short bursts. She felt as though she was dying, immediately remembering the description of a heart attack Gilbert had shown her years ago in one of his medical journals he read. She fell to her knees, hands on her chest as if pushing on it might quell the pain.

It was only a few minutes before the pain was nearly gone and she felt relatively calm again, but it was almost an hour before she stood up and started walking again.

**A/N: Hey everybody! I'm experimenting a bit with some new stuff here, making this chapter a bit more emotional, so let me know if you liked this format. As always, don't forget to review and stay safe and healthy!**


	11. Diana

As there were even with Ms. Stacy, there had to be some days, or at least portions of days dedicated to staying inside and solving the complex arithmetic problems Anne had written on the large chalkboard at the front of the room. William, who it seemed was the embodiment of intelligence, was quickly finished with the problem on his slate, and gently set down the piece of chalk while turning his head to face Anne. This had become their nonverbal signal so as not to disturb the other students used to alert Anne that a student had completed the work on the board.

A few seconds later, a younger girl named Emily set down her chalk, turning not to face Anne but rather to glare at William. Upon noticing however Anne's eyes on her, she turned, smiling at Anne, and acted as if nothing had happened. Anne chuckled slightly, being reminded of her time with Gilbert in the schoolhouse.

However much she would not admit it to anyone, she had come to enjoy Gilbert's daily visits to the schoolhouse. He often brought something with him that could be useful to her lessons, and in return Anne would provide him with a small treat she'd baked the night before. They both had grown accustomed to this routine, considering it'd been about three weeks since the first day of school, however neither would admit that there was in fact a routine. It was an understanding that neither would vocalize, and they were content with that knowledge.

The end of the school day came rather quickly, and Anne sent each of them home with an assignment to write a small bit about their families, or the homes they lived in. She made sure to acknowledge that if any students were uncomfortable with this, they could simply describe the schoolhouse, the woods, a favorite place of theirs in nature, or something like that. She also promised the students that she would do the same, and they would all present. This seemed to ease some of the children's nervousness at the word 'present'.

Gilbert came through the door, a smile on his face and a book in hand, and Anne promptly pulled a small pastry out of a basket on her desk. Gilbert held out the book: "Anatomy of the Human Body". Anne took it, nodding at Gilbert. "Thank you, this will do well for a short lesson on this topic." A smile was creeping across her face as well, and so she handed him the pastry. "Hope you like it," she said. Gilbert unwrapped the small blue checkered handkerchief it was wrapped in, and, peeking at the contents, smiled even wider. "This looks fabulous. Thank you Anne." He said. Their interactions of course were to remain courteous, and as always professional, since Anne was strictly against treating him or William specially for any reason.

Once the two had finished a brief conversation regarding William's progress in school, Anne set off towards Green Gables, organizing the thoughts and feelings in her mind into a story she could tell Cole.

The trees swayed gently in the wind, not so much as to knock off any branches, but tugging any loose leaves from their places and laying them back down on the ground beneath the trees. Anne went through the fence back into Green Gables, opening the door and preparing to tell her great tale that was today to Cole, when she was stopped suddenly in her tracks.

There, standing in front of the door, eyes sad and cheeks stained with tears, stood Diana, holding out a small daisy to Anne.

"I miss my best friend. I'm so sorry for how I acted Anne."

Anne wasted no time, and immediately ran to Diana, enveloping her in a hug and smiling widely, small tears rolling down her cheeks as well. The memories of their argument were gone, and in place, happy memories, like the ones of their childhood, brought on by the overwhelming nostalgia Diana waa giving Anne. The two stayed in that embrace for a while, until they both broke away, wiping their cheeks.

"I suppose we have a lot to catch up on."

**A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry for the late update, I wasn't quite sure how to continue from the last chapter. To be clear, I'm not ignoring or blowing over what happened there, it will be addressed in another chapter. Thank you for reading, and stay safe and healthy!**


	12. Tracks

Diana and Anne talked extensively about their argument, Diana apologizing profusely and explaining that it was facilitated by an extreme amount of panic and stress. Anne inquired further about this and Diana exclaimed with a bright smile painted on her face that she was having a baby! While Diana blamed mood swings partly for her outburst she made it clear that it was entirely her fault and that Anne was not to blame herself in the slightest. Anne could not comprehend the second part of this sentence anymore however since the prospect of a baby overtook her attention. She jumped up from her chair and being completely ecstatic had to squeal and jump around the house for a few moments before she could continue their conversation.

It was now that their argument was completely behind them.

Diana somewhat timidly knowing their history asked Anne if she would ask Gilbert on her behalf for help. Her hands met her lap and she looked down slightly, ashamed to ask for such a thing. Her shame was immediately replaced however by happiness as Anne didn't waste a second to agree to her request.

At that, Anne was headed off to Gilbert's house.

She knocked on the door, straightening and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for him to open it. He met the door, expression blank and formal at first, then softening when he saw it was her. "Anne!" He exclaimed, eyes widening finally as it clicked in his mind the significance of this visit. His mind immediately went to something being medically wrong, and looked to see if she had any obvious injuries. Seeing Anne's bright smile and the happiness in her eyes, however, he relaxed a bit, considering the possibility that this was a social visit. "How may I help you?" He said, leaning against the doorframe of his home. Anne, who'd been more than happy to assist her friend in her request not two seconds ago, was now finding it hard to speak as she saw the gruesome scene of her adoptive parents' death in front of her.

"I-I came to ask on behalf o-of Diana," She choked out. She was now looking down, instead of forward as she had been, and Gilbert quickly picked up on her distress.

"Diana's husband mentioned they were expecting. Have you come to ask for her if I know someone who might assist her?" Anne nodded, not looking up, her cheeks pink and her mind berating her for appearing so vulnerable for such an unchangeable event that had happened in the past.

"I do, I can refer her to a female provider if she'd like?" Anne nodded, and forcing herself to speak, said "Yes, I'm sure she'd appreciate that." The existence of a female doctor was becoming much more prominent while still not quite a regular occurrence, so Anne was not surprised that in the year he'd spent traveling studying incurable illnesses he'd met one or two.

Gilbert nodded, and writing down some content information for the woman on a small slip of paper, handed it to Anne, and looked down. He wasn't quite sure whether this interaction was simply awkward because of their distance from each other or if their previous interactions and Matthew and Marilla's tragic death were contributing factors, and decided not to approach or acknowledge the awkwardness because of this uncertainty. Instead, he simply nodded, and, stepping back from the door, Anne finally making eye contact, waved. Anne waved back and gave a small "Bye" before turning around and walking away while he shut the door.

On the walk back to Green Gables, Anne mentally chastised herself for letting events that were almost entirely out of his control sour her relationship with Gilbert. She resolved that in two weeks, when there would be a break in school, she would get on a train and go to see Diana in her home. Although the very thought of going on a train sent waves of terror through her, she knew it was inevitable she would have to at some point, and she couldn't bear the thought of not being there for her friend even more than the thought of a train. So, she went and got tickets for midday next week.

The worker set down his hammer, wiping a few drops of sweat from his forehead. The tracks were not yet completed - not by a lot, but it was about time for lunch, and he decided to take a small break before completing the track. Setting a ribbon down next to the last rail he completed, he set off to find a spot to have lunch.

When he returned, however, the ribbon was nowhere to be found.

He was not particularly concerned, however, and upon inspecting the nails, he deduced that one of the rails was the one he left off on, and continued without concern.

A large patch of tracks, however, remained unfinished, and would not be checked until one hour before Anne's train was supposed to use them.


	13. Ch13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the tv series Anne With An E, nor do I own the book Anne of Green Gables. "(-)" Is a page break.**

Anne took a swift stroll out along the path through the woods that Saturday morning, breathing in the fresh air and making note of the trees that she thought were candidates for sketching. Cole had dedicated an hour yesterday to teaching her techniques, and she felt thoroughly excited to try to apply them in practice today.

Two days remained until Anne would take the train from Avonlea across the new train tracks and visit Diana's home. She knew Diana would not be giving birth anytime soon, so did not expect this trip to be anything other than getting reaccustomed to the train, however she and Diana both felt it would be helpful to her to have someone she trusted on the train with her for the first time, just so she wouldn't be alone.

After writing up a small list of instructions for how to use each appliance and what would need to be done each day for the week Anne would be gone, she was confident Cole had a handle on running Green Gables. She gave him a small stack of letters to be delivered to the post office and told him at which times he was to do so, then went upstairs to finalize the items in her suitcase, leaving her one day to be certain she had everything she needed.

It wasn't as if she was moving, but Anne had developed a characteristic of being extremely organized during times she would be traveling. She would begin packing at least a week in advance and finalize her suitcase with items she needed daily the day she left. The little bag she carried was old and somewhat worn, but it was the case that she'd gone out with Matthew to get years ago, and so she'd never replaced it.

But now, at last, it was Sunday, and she was free to simply stroll through the woods and clear her head as she'd always done when she was younger.

The woods were secluded, and while she was in them, she was alone. However, something she'd written about once in a bout of inspiration, she was not lonely while she was alone in the woods. Although there was not a person beside her to cherish, she had the entirety of the woods to cherish around her.

The walk was cut short around midday, however, due to a sudden chill blowing suddenly through the woods and breaking her concentration. In April this was always a possibility, and so she began to walk back towards Green Gables for lunch.

(-)

Gilbert wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it was not this.

William was young, young enough that he didn't understand a lot of things. So when he came home to Gilbert, holding hands with another boy, and proudly proclaimed that they wanted to get married, Gilbert was stunned.

"His name is Gabriel." William said, voice filled with something like admiration. "We're getting married." He said.

Now, Gilbert had nothing against the idea in principle, of men marrying men that is, however, he knew that this was not a view that was shared by most. He couldn't imagine having a conversation with his son of this age and telling him about how he may not tell anyone else about this for fear of him being injured or arrested. He couldn't bring himself to tell his son that marriage happened between men and women, because he knew in his heart that this was a rule that was unjust and frankly - stupid. When other children came to their parents and proclaimed that they wanted to marry someone, it was usually played off as something cute. A boy likes a girl. But this, this was dangerous. And Gilbert did not know what to do.

Finally, Gilbert did something he found he was somewhat ashamed of. He didn't know why he was - maybe it was because he couldn't explain to his son why he shouldn't say that himself. But he got William ready, and set off to Green Gables to speak to Cole.

(-)

Cole, sitting downstairs and enveloped in his latest sketch, heard the knock at the door and went to open it immediately. When he saw Gilbert, he immediately said, "Oh, one moment. I'll go get Anne for you." But before he could turn, Gilbert interrupted.

"Actually, we came to speak to you."

At this, Cole raised his eyebrows, but stepped out of the doorway to allow them entry. Gilbert walked inside, bringing William with him, and instructed William to sit on the couch for a moment. After he did so, he explained the situation to Cole.

Cole sighed, a sigh clearly of pity. Not to Gilbert, but to William, who, unfortunately, was going to have to learn how harsh his world really was far too soon.

**A/N: Hey everyone! To be clear, Gilbert doesn't assume that William is LGBTQ+, since he is this young. He would accept him if he was, and yet even speaking like that was not a good idea back then, at least to others, and he wants to make sure William is safe. He isn't homophobic, don't worry! **

**Also, I'm really sorry I haven't been updating too frequently. I have about two weeks left of school as of today (yay, almost free!) so things tend to get a bit hectic this time of year. I plan to update much more frequently from this point!**

**Lastly, I considered putting a disclaimer at the beginning of the chapter in case people were uncomfortable reading about LGBTQ+ related subjects. If this is something you'd like me to do in the future, message me or put something in the reviews alerting me of this and I will.**

**Stay safe and healthy!**


	14. Love

**A/N: Hi readers! This might be a bit confusing, so Anne is going to go on the train in a day, and Gilbert is thinking back to his time with Anne. They both realize something huge. Please enjoy! (Sorry it's so short!)**

_Anne and Gilbert had both come to secretly enjoy their daily interactions at the schoolhouse. Gilbert would often arrive carrying a small bouquet of flowers in his hands tied together loosely by a long strip of grass, and so Anne made a point to have a small vase filled with water ready on the corner of her desk. The students had not yet realized how Anne came to have a new bunch of flowers each morning on her desk before she even arrived, but did not question it, as they found the flowers quite pleasant to look at._

_Anne often brought pastries in her bag with her that she would give to Gilbert when he finally arrived. While the actual teaching was and always would be Anne's favorite part of being a teacher, her meetings with Gilbert were becoming a close second._

_They spoke formally about William's progress in school and his upcoming assignments he needed to complete until the children and parents had all left the vicinity and then would move to other topics ranging from politics to the newest ice cream flavor in the small parlor that had opened up last week. While Anne seemingly failed to notice the significance of their little conversations, it was not lost on Gilbert. Whenever Wilma or William brought it up, however, he would act none the wiser._

_On this particularly warm day, Anne had baked raspberry scones that she wrapped delicately in a blue plaid towel and placed gingerly in a basket, and Gilbert had picked a myriad of wildflowers from a place he'd found littered with them that wrapped around a lake. This time, he wrapped them with a shimmery purple ribbon to compliment the lavender he'd found and then hurried to the schoolhouse to arrive on time._

_Then exchange did not happen until the rest of the children and parents had already left, and they were both excited for the other to see their gift. Anne placed the flowers in the vase, thanking Gilbert, and handed him the scones which he praised heavily once he'd tasted one._

_They both began to walk back home now, going in the same direction for a bit but then splitting up later on._

Gilbert smiled fondly at this memory, but sighed, knowing that since school would be out for three weeks, he would not have an excuse to visit Anne for three weeks. He knew he was in love with Anne - he knew this since the day she'd smacked her slate over his head during their school ages. However, determined not to push the relationship the two seemed to be slowly rebuilding, he smiled, content in knowing that if friends was all they would be, he was happy with that.

Meanwhile, as Anne lay in bed, staring up at her ceiling at the offwhite paint covering it, she had already come to the same conclusion.

She loved Gilbert Blythe.


	15. Trains

It has been two days since Anne rode the train.

The majority of the ride was a blur for her - one of the only things she remembered was the eerie calm surrounding the train station compared to the anxiety she anticipated she would feel when she was standing near a train, let alone riding one.

Diana and Gilbert had quite literally bumped into each other when she and Anne stepped onto the train, which was the start of a lively conversation between the three of them on the train ride. Anne wasn't quite sure what happened after that, and so thought back to it and tried to remember what happened.

The train had come to a stop, and Gilbert and Diana got up to go to the front of the train and find out what was going on. Anne was left blissfully unaware of any issues while she looked at the window towards the beautiful scenery they'd come upon.

Diana had walked back into their train car, she and Gilbert speaking in hushed voices and pointing outside.

At this point, the train conductor walked into the train car, and spoke the words Anne could not believe were true.

"Attention please passengers. We have encountered a fault in the tracks up ahead." This inspired a series of gasps from those riding the train, and the conductor, allowing a moment for the passengers to process this, then continued. "Thankfully, those inspecting the tracks discovered the fault and alerted us of it. However, this news came after we had ridden the train quite a ways, and unfortunately, there is no form of lodging or other places to stay in the vicinity. You may either walk to the nearest one, which is approximately seven miles away, or you may wait inside the train until this dilemma can be resolved. My deepest apologies for the inconvenience."

Now Anne sat frozen in her seat, staring at the conductor and only slowly registering what his words meant. The sky outside was growing dark already, and the stars began to peek out from behind the curtain of darkness washing over the world.

"You _cannot _expect me to walk _seven miles _just to have a decent bed for the night!" One woman exclaimed. Her husband looked just as outraged as she was, and he held one of her hands as if in a supporting manner. A few other passengers agreed or made similar remarks, but most just looked shocked or confused as if they could not process that information. The conductor shrugged sympathetically and said "I wish I could do something, but we cannot move forward on damaged tracks. I am also not returning to a comfortable bed tonight Miss. If there were something I could do, I would."

The woman scoffed, but quieted, slumping further into her seat and keeping her expression one of utter disgust.

Beyond her outburst no one said anything. Everyone was simply processing the unexpected news.

Anne, who had been perfectly fine at first in the train, suddenly found the very fact that she was inside one suffocating. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay inside, so she got up, picking up her suitcases and preparing to leave.

"Diana," Anne said. "You really shouldn't walk that far. You can't, not with the baby. But I can't stay here. I'll follow the tracks and meet you there tomorrow." Diana opened her mouth to protest, but the determined look on Anne's face told her that there was no changing her mind.

"I'll go with you," Gilbert offered. Diana seemed relieved, and Anne had no qualms with the prospect. So, off they went, headed for the small town near the train, sun setting with them.

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so so sorry this chapter came so late, I finished writing this a while ago but forgot to update it. I admit I'd been putting off this chapter for a while anyways, because I didn't really know how to continue, but I really value this story and it isn't finished any time soon. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this long. I value your reviews and messages so please don't hesitate to reach out with any suggestions, feedback, ideas, criticism, etc. I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but the next one will be better and sooner. Thank you to all my readers, stay safe and healthy!**


	16. Last Moments

Marilla scowled at the woman across the aisle from her, whose legs and arms were crossed in a very undignified manner. She was looking outside the window, palm pressed against the glass, as she watched the train slowly begin to drag forward. As much as Marilla's mental alarm bells were ringing at the woman's posture, she softened her gaze, as she recalled her first train ride with Anne, where she looked precisely like that - in awe of all of her surroundings. She turned her attention back to her book, which had been a gift from Anne the week prior and she had yet to read. The book was flimsy, made from a few pieces of paper tied together and given a makeshift cover page, but it was written by Anne, and therefore it was worth more to Marilla than original copies of William Shakespeare. She opened the first page and smiled as she took in Anne's handwriting.

_There once was a young girl, redheaded and fair-skinned. She was skinny, almost unattractively so, and an unnecessary amount of freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. She owned three dresses, one plain brown one, another plain green dress, and a more fanciful royal blue gown that matched wonderfully with her brilliantly red hair. The dresses were made by her beloved mother Marilla, and therefore no matter how much they disagreed with the latest trends, if you asked, she would certainly choose those over a fancy new dress made by a stranger. She knew most of the people in her town, and many of them were friends or at the very least acquaintances. If she didn't already know them, it was a guarantee that she would soon, and likely become infamous in their eyes._

_The girl was a clutz. A calamity, a 'disaster on two feet' as she was sometimes called. She was likely the complete opposite of grace and tranquility, but at the same time could not be matched when it came to her determination and willpower, as she was often told by her father, Matthew. And this was thanks to the unwavering encouragement that came from both her parents daily, despite how incredibly unworthy she was of it. How unworthy any person could be of such an incredible source of love._

_Her parents were unmatched in their kindness, their honesty, their wisdom and their-_

Matthew cleared his throat and looked up at Marilla, who looked up from the story, slightly irritated that Matthew interrupted it. "Yes?" She replied.

Matthew shifted, and he seemed almost uncomfortable. "Do you think Anne'll be alright without us?"

Marilla sighed, and reluctantly closed the book in front of her. She'd thought of this, as well, and eventually, after weighing all considerations and circumstances, had come to the one conclusion that allowed her to be on the train at this moment. "Yes," she said. "Of course she will."

She could have repeated every rationalization that allowed her to come to that point that she had thought of herself, but at the moment, that simple answer seemed to satisfy Matthew, as though the answer was clear and obvious from the start. So she chose not to.

The two's thoughts were of Anne, clumsy, intelligent, funny, creative, perfect Anne.

And then they could not think at all.

**A/N: Hello my wonderful wonderful readers! I hope you are all having a fantastic day today. I'm so sorry to have gone on a bit of an unannounced hiatus from this story, but due to the overwhelming weight of all that's been going on in the last while I'd sort of forgotten about it. I thank the person who kindly reviewed this story urging me to keep it going. I meant to get this updated yesterday so I apologize for the delay. As I hope you got, this is a chapter of Matthew and Marilla's final moments. The normal story will resume either next chapter or the one after that, so thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoyed! Stay safe, and happy!**


	17. The Walk

The outside air wasn't cold on its own, but the chilly breeze that swept through the trees beside them was an unwelcome presence along their walk. Because that's what this was, Anne reminded herself - just a walk. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a walk, with a friend.

Her own thoughts shocked her at this point. A friend? Had they really become that again? She supposed they had, and smiled a bit, as she was pleasantly surprised by this development. She did hope he felt the same.

**Gilbert's POV:  
**

The sky, growing darker now, was casting a shadow over Anne's face, only matched by the soft blue moonlit glow shining across the side of her face. It cast a purplish tone on her hair, and Gilbert couldn't help but think that she looked more beautiful tonight - fully vulnerable, emotions completely exposed, faults and strengths, and yet Gilbert could not discern the two from each other. He felt as though he and Anne had become one, two friends who were no longer strangers, a feeling he had once lost with Anne. He, although cold, on edge from the darkness, and exhausted, felt more at peace now than he had for a number of years.

* * *

They'd been walking for about two hours before they heard a noise.

At first, they were stunned and could not articulate what they had both heard.

But then, they heard it again - a rustling, scratching sound. The sound of someone walking across gravel, and pushing through leaves.

Gilbert put his hand in front of Anne and said, "Get behind me."

"No." Anne replied, shoving it out of the way and revealing a large stick she'd found lying next to the tracks.

They stood, now side-by-side, Gilbert holding his hands out defensively and her holding the stick back, ready to swing it.

A man appeared from inside the woods, looking disheveled and confused. His teeth looked as though they hadn't been brushed for days, and his clothing had small tears along the torso and calves. He peered at the two, squinting his eyes and staring at them.

A small badge on his coat said "REPAIR" in large letters, and Anne's first thought was of the tracks. Although she couldn't fathom why someone who was hired for a job would allow himself to look so.. unkempt.

Alarm bells began going off in Anne's mind however when she saw red specks on the corner of his coat. It was hard to see, as by now it was dark, but they were clearly red and did not appear to be sewn in. There could be various perfectly rational explanations for that, but she raised her stick up higher, making her distrust clear. She then whispered,

"Gilbert. Run. Go ahead of me, run, and find help. I will be right behind you, I promise you, but I need you to run."

He turned his head to face her with wide eyes, and with the smallest tilt of her head, she gestured to the specks of blood on the coat of the suspicious man walking towards them. His eyes widened a fraction before his expression quickly became neutral again. As he faced her, however, a flicker of worry crossed his face.

"Go."

Not a millisecond later he took off running in the direction down the train tracks, alarming the man. He began to charge towards Anne, who promptly whacked him over the head with the stick so he lost his balance and fell. Anne caught a whiff of liquor from his breath, cringing as she spun around and took off towards where Gilbert was running before she felt something grab her ankle and she fell over.

A sharp pain went through her ankle, but she kicked her legs until the thing, presumably his hand, released, and then she once again took off in Gilbert's direction, still ignoring the pain in her ankle. They couldn't be twenty minutes from the next town by now - she could make it.

Gilbert came running back down, second-guessing running for help. Seeing Anne, he breathed a sigh of relief, however quickly became frightened again as he saw the man chasing after them still. He ran to Anne and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward faster than before as the town came into view. They ran to the train station and opened the door to the first entrance they saw, running inside and shutting it back again. They found a local officer and informed them of the situation, explaining (likely in a hyperbolic manner) what they had seen. Anne pulled the keys to Diana's house that she was given when she left the train out of her pocket and opened the door to her house. She and Gilbert both answered, and Anne finally sat down, wincing as the pain in her leg finally caught up to her.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Gilbert asked anxiously, worry written over his face. She pulled the ankle of her leggings up to reveal a gash on her calf,. Gilbert cringed. "Shit. Let me see if Diana has medical supplies." He left to go and find a first aid kit, and Anne found herself blushing despite her pain.


	18. 18

**A/N: Hello lovely readers and welcome back from my unannounced hiatus! I am so so sorry for my spotty uploading the past few months, it is definitely something I am striving to improve and make more regular as the story develops. As this is my first official story on this site I'm still working out the logistics of updating and some other minor issues but as I've said before this is _not _the end of Without You! This story will be somewhat long so I greatly appreciate those of you who have stuck with me, liked/followed the story or left reviews as it does wonders to improve my motivation and it's one of the things that lets me know this story is worth continuing. I'm so so grateful to all of you for your support whatever form it may have come from and I thank you all! Well without furtherado, here is chapter eighteen of Without You! Very sorry it's so short, I promise that I'll make up for it soon!**

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_Anne found herself awestruck by the glorious diversity of the wildflowers in the field around her, pausing breifly each time she encountered one she hadn't yet seen and stroking the petals, taking in a deep breath and smiling as the pleasant aromas enveloped her in a peaceful moment of detatchment from reality._

_A small river ran alongside her, winding through the trees beside the field and making soft rippling sounds that complimented the gentle whistle of the wind and melodical chirps of the birds. It was not only perfect, but imperfect, and Anne could do little more than observe the beauty around her. _

_Suddenly a rustling, louder than the previously peaceful sound of the wind and seemingly intrusive on the beautiful scene disrupted her thoughts. A gravelly sound was become more and more apparent. It seemed to become louder each second, and at some point it was all she could hear, drowning out not only the wind but the birds, the trickle of the river and the brushing of leaves. She saw the man approaching her, dripping with a red substance and smiling widely showing each of his yellowed, cavity-ridden teeth and waving a hand. Suddenly he made a fist and yanked his arm backwards, which caused Anne to fall onto her stomach although his grip was empty. Pain flew through her ankle and calf as the red substance began to drip down her forehead-_

"Anne!"

Gilbert was leaning over her balled up figure, brow furrowed in concern and arm on her shoulder, prepared to shake her again.

"Anne, you were yelling. Are you alright?"

Her cheeks blushed a bright pink as embarressment settled deep within her chest. "Yes, of course. I'm truly sorry to have woken you." At that she stood up and lead him with a gentle hand on his arm to his room, which was the guest, as Diana had allowed Anne permission to use Diana's for the sake of privacy between Anne and Gilbert. Stopping at the doorway, she nodded, simply saying "I'm very sorry, I hope you won't be too tired in the morning." With that, she gently shut his door and returned to her room, shutting hers as well but not returning to her bed for fear of waking him up again. Instead, she lit a candle beside her bed and retreived a book from the small bag she had brought with her. The book is one which she recieved as a gift from Marilla, answering a few of her many questions about her birth parents. She sat upright in bed, tracing the drawing of her mother until she eventually fell asleep, her finger resting on the page of the book.


	19. The Poem

It was a simple one. Two stanzas in length, just enough, in Anne's opinion, to open one up to a world that an author created from their own mind. Their mind, plagued with secrets, with grief. Occasionally relieved from such despair with a bought of happiness, or someone to love them. But it is fleeting, as is anything that you were trying so hard to never let go.

While no one would quite understand the significance of the poem, scratched out haphazardly across the page as though it were itching, clawing, tearing its way from the pen and forcing itself to be heard, to be memorialized in a way only those willing would find it. The scrawled out letters held more meaning to Anne than most other things, as her own adoptive mother, Marilla, had written it herself.

It was no famous poem, nothing fraught with imagery or written by an expert's hand. It was something crafted purely from the need to write it, and the tools she had to write it with. No matter what real recognition or acclaim it received from others, it would always hold a special and most exclusive spot in Anne's heart.

Her dreams were often short, nonsensical snippets of words or phrases Matthew and Marilla had spoken pieced together in a sort of poetic form, but tonight, now, it was different. Now, it represented something only Marilla could describe, that only she felt. It was beautiful in an imperfect way.

_My one, my mistake, my fate_

_You bring me beside myself with worry and above my expectations_

_You grow with me, not after me_

_You search with me, we find together._

_We hope together, we disappoint alongside-_

_We are together._

_We stay together_

_We are not alone, we are not afraid,_

_We bring light to dark, we bring warmth to cold,_

_You show me how, as I grow old_

_We are together._

**A/N: Ello all! At this point, I'm just gonna acknowledge it - with all the crazy stuff going on right now, it really is impossible for me to keep a regular or frequent upload schedule. I'll definitely do my best, but unfortunately can make no promises :( Until next time though, please enjoy this short chapter and the next uploads which should be arriving very soon! I will also hopefully be publishing some new stories (likely mostly Anne With an E related) so stay tuned if you're interested! Stay safe out there guys!**


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